Johannesburg – A man accused of stabbing his pregnant girlfriend and her mother to death and setting his friend’s house on fire appeared in the Ritavi Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, Limpopo police said.

Oscar Ngobeni, 24, would be back in court on 28 August, with the matter postponed for further investigation, police spokesperson Ronel Otto said.

Ngobeni would remain in police custody.

Ngobeni, charged with three counts of murder and one of arson, allegedly went to his 20-year-old girlfriend’s house in Mkwazini village, Letsitele on the evening of 19 June.

Otto said on 23 June the couple apparently started arguing before he allegedly stabbed her to death.

Tinyiko Matlaahule was seven months pregnant, Otto said.

He then allegedly stabbed her 58-year-old mother Rachel Hlangwani.

“Both women died on the scene but the 20-year-old woman was taken to hospital in an attempt to save the baby, but it was too late.”

The 24-year-old then went to his friend’s house, in the same village, and allegedly set the house alight, Otto said.

Ngobeni and the friend are believed to have argued about money.

“Nobody was killed or injured during this incident but the two-roomed house was totally destroyed in the fire.”

He was arrested on the same night and was allegedly linked to several housebreaking cases in Letsitele, Otto said.

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Johannesburg – Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir has not suffered any new health setbacks, police said on Wednesday.

Lieutenant General Solomon Makgale denied reports that Krejcir had been admitted to a prison medical facility because he had suffered a heart attack.

“Krejcir has always been in the prison’s medical facility,” Makgale said.

“A court order was issued during his bail application which said he must be detained at a medical facility. When he is there, he receives medical check-ups,” Makgale said.

Kidney problems

The South Gauteng High Court issued the order in November after Krejcir’s doctor testified he could suffer renal failure if he did not get treatment.

Earlier, Krejcir’s lawyer Piet du Plessis said Krejcir fell ill on Monday but it was unclear what ailment he suffered from.

The Star newspaper reported that Krejcir was suspected to have had a heart attack.

Krejcir is accused, along with seven others, of conspiring to kill police officer Colonel Nkosana “Killer” Ximba and forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan in a case before the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court.

Krejcir, Siboniso Miya, Owen Serero, Zodumo Biyela, ex-crime intelligence Sergeant Nandi Nkosi, Welcome Nkanyiso Mafunda, Siphiwe Memela, and Mike Grigorov appeared in the court on Friday.

In another case Krejcir, along with Desai Luphondo, Warrant Officers Samuel “Saddam” Maropeng and George Nthoroane, and Jan Lefu Mofokeng, and Siboniso Miya face charges of kidnapping, attempted murder, and dealing in drugs.

They allegedly kidnapped Bheki Lukhele from his Katlehong home in June last year in a bid for him to reveal the whereabouts of his brother, Doctor.

Doctor, who worked for a cargo company at OR Tambo International Airport, allegedly disappeared with drugs worth millions of rands which he had been tasked to help smuggle to Australia, allegedly for Krejcir.

This matter is expected to resume in the South Gauteng High Court, sitting in Palm Ridge, on 21 July.

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Johannesburg – Eastern Cape Education MEC Mandla Makupula has placed the head of department Mthunywa Ngonzo on precautionary suspension, the department said on Wednesday.

“The head of department is suspended pending investigation of allegations of mismanagement of the school furniture tender,” spokesperson Loyiso Pulumani said.

Investigations into the matter had to be finalised within 60 days.

“These are normal administrative processes of the department; as such we appeal to the public to allow space for all due processes to be finalised,” Pulumani said.

Deputy director general for institutional operations management Ray Tywakadi had been appointed to act in the position.

“This was not an easy decision to reach, nor was it taken lightly,” Pulumani said.

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Johannesburg – The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) said on Wednesday there is a strong need for its planned public hearings to address safety and security on farms.

Spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the SAHRC decided to hold the hearings following findings from a 2008 inquiry into conditions prevalent on farms and its communities.

AfriForum had requested a hearing into farm attacks, which it believed were not receiving enough attention.

“All complaints we have received point to the fact that safety and security and human rights protection, including conditions of employment in farming communities, still remain a significant challenge,” Mangena said.

The commission also identified a strong basis for a probe into progress made by government and the private sector on the implementation of recommendations made in 2008.

AfriForum CEO Ernst Roets said government did not publish statistics on these crimes.

“Years back, government recognised that farmers were targeted in exceptionally brutal attacks, but now, a total denial of the true extent of the crisis prevails.”

AfriForum had asked the commission to look into the matter and would make all its relevant resources available to the commission.

Mangena said a date for the hearings would soon be announced.

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Johannesburg – Economic Freedom Fighters representatives in the Gauteng provincial legislature were barred from entering the chamber on Wednesday for being dressed inappropriately, the legislature said.

Secretary to the legislature Peter Skosana said the EFF had been made aware its dress code of red overalls and domestic worker outfits needed to comply with the rules.

“As you are aware, we had an incident yesterday [Tuesday] in which members of the EFF had to be forcibly removed from the House as they had not dressed appropriately,” he said.

Letter

“It was also indicated in a letter they were sent that members would still have to comply with the rules of the House.”

He said unless the EFF legislature members were dressed appropriately, they would not be allowed to enter the chamber.

That was the only reason they were barred from entering the chamber.

EFF Gauteng spokesperson Omphile Maotwe said: “A huge number of police were in the legislature, and we were refused entry into the House.

“We have since referred the matter to our national office, and they have deployed our commissar for justice adv [Dali] Mpofu to assist.”

Maotwe said Mpofu was in a meeting with police and legislature officials to understand what the problem was.

“We were told we are dressing inappropriately. We haven’t been given any further details at the moment,” she said.

Party insignia

Speaker Ntombi Mekgwe ordered the EFF members out of the chamber on Tuesday because their overalls had the word “Asijiki” (we will not go back) written on them, which was considered party insignia and thus not allowed in the legislature.

The Star reported that during the scuffle to remove them after they refused to leave, EFF MPL Benjamin Disolwane had his arm broken, and Parks Khaiyane was taken to Milpark Hospital in a “critical” condition.

A third EFF MPL, Mgcina Tshwaku, reportedly had an asthma attack during the commotion.

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Pretoria – Judge Thokozile Mapisa granted a court order prohibiting the further media publication about Oscar Pistorius’s psychiatric reports, at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday.
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Cape Town – Justice Minister Michael Masutha on Wednesday called for an end to infighting at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and saw the first priority at the troubled body as resolving the fate of prosecuting chief Mxolisi Nxasana.

“We have identified the issues around the NDPP as the first priority in dealing with the whole broader issue of management in the NPA, which has been widely publicised,” Masutha told Parliament’s justice portfolio committee.

“I think it is only fair that we deal with one issue at a time,” he added.

“I am sure that once the issue has been resolved relating to the NDPP either way, and I do not want to give the impression here that the matter will be resolved in one direction or the other… all other matters relating to the management of the NPA will only be looked at.”

Masutha made clear that the decision on whether to retain Nxasana in his post as national director of public prosecutions lay with President Jacob Zuma, who appointed him in October last year.

It emerged last month that former justice minister Jeff Radebe had asked Nxasana to resign because he had failed to disclose that he was charged with murder and acquitted of murder in 1985.

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Mahikeng- Three years after the North West Department of Health took over control of the running of the province’s only medical depot, the availability of essential drugs like anti-retroviral and tuberculosis drugs has stabilised. 

The Mmabatho medical depot was established in 1999 with the main purpose of providing surgical and pharmaceutical products to primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities. Since its inception, it was outsourced until 2011 when MEC Magome Masike decided to in-source operations at the depot following inconsistent supply of medication in 2010 and early 2011.

Ms. Annah Bodibe (51) was diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes in 2007. Ms Bodibe says she has never experienced any trouble with her medication at the Bapong Community Health Centre.

“I have never missed a date for my follow up visits and always get my treatment, as a result I have never had serious health problems,” said Bodibe when asked about adherence to treatment. Bodibe adds that, though she agrees that patients suffering from other ailments may have experienced shortage of medication, she thinks people tend to exaggerate as they are given generic medication” departmental spokesperson Tebogo Lekgethwane said.

When given generic medication, Bodibe says she asks the nurse to explain to her why her pills have changed. She admits to not knowing the exact names of the pills she takes and so recognizes them by their appearance.

The availability of essential drugs like anti-retroviral and tuberculosis drugs has stabilised at 96% – 100% since the department took control of the medical depot in 2011.

“We promised to turn around the situation by substantially increasing availability of drugs and medicine. I am happy to report that the situation has improved and continue to improve,” said MEC Masike during his recent visit to the depot.

“I need to emphasize that turning around the medical depot is work in progress. The expanded pharmacy at both Ganyesa Hospital and Bloemhof Community Health Centre will help with bulk storage of medication and other essential drugs to substantially add to our efforts of ensuring constant availability of medication in our facilities,” he said.

Medical depot manager, Sarah Mokgatlha said the depot now has weekly deliveries to hospitals.-TDN
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Johannesburg – The EFF national leadership has condemned what it calls the violent and undemocratic decision of the ANC Speaker to remove its members from the Gauteng legislature.

“During the debate on the State of the Province, the speaker of the Gauteng legislature, Ntombi Mekgwe, called police to remove Economic Freedom Fighters members from parliament because they were dressed in worker clothes,” spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said in a statement on Tuesday.

“In effect, a member of the legislature in the form of the Speaker has ordered other honourable members to be violated by the police because they were dressed in worker clothes as opposed to the elite suits.”

Ndlozi said Megkwe should be ashamed of herself as she was an embarrassment to the “democratic house of the people”.

EFF members were asked to leave the legislature for wearing red overalls with the word “Asijiki” (we will not go back) written on them.

The Times Live reported that Mekgwe said the EFF’s red overalls were deemed inappropriate because “Asijiki” was considered party insignia.

Police had to be called to escort the members out.

Ndlozi said the EFF convener of Gauteng had to be taken to a medical facility after being removed from the legislature by police.

“What the speaker forgets is that EFF is there not because she employed it, but because more than a million South Africans voted for it. EFF therefore deserves to be in parliament, for this is the will of the people,” he said.

Ndlozi added that the party would not be bossed around to abandon the worker overalls in parliaments across the country because that was who it represented.

“No amount of beating by the ANC police will ever submit the EFF into abandoning the red overalls and domestic workers’ dress codes,” Ndlozi said.

Interdict application

The party would make an urgent court application to interdict the Gauteng legislature not to dismiss EFF members on the basis that they wear overalls, he added.

Other parties strongly criticised the EFF’s behaviour.

The ANC in Gauteng accused the EFF of undermining the legislature.

“The ANC in the Gauteng provincial legislature… noted with disgust the unbecoming behaviour of the EFF members of the provincial legislature during the sitting of the House,” Chief Whip Brian Hlongwa said in a statement.

“The ANC emphasises that the members of the legislatures are expected to be the custodians of the democratic institutions like the legislature.”

Hlongwa said the behaviour of EFF members contravened rule 31 of the legislature’s standing rules. The rule deals with the appropriate dress code.

The SA Communist Party called the EFF an organisation battling with infantile disorder and left-wing childishness.

“The SACP wishes to emphasise that the conduct of the EFF represents an extremely backward, lumpen and chaotic tendency of anarchy with a mix of right-wing, populist and demagogic slant,” deputy provincial secretary Mpapa Kanyane said in a statement.

The Democratic Alliance expressed concern over comments made during the sitting.

The party claimed an EFF member said the country would “go up in flames” should the EFF be removed from the House.

“The fiasco caused in today’s sitting by the EFF, dressed in red overalls, is in contravention of the House rules of the legislature. It was nothing less than cheap politics,” DA legislature spokesperson John Moodey said.

Moodey cautioned the threats were not to be taken lightly.

“Such a statement would not be made by a rational person,” Moodey said.

The DA backed the legislature’s decision to “uphold the integrity and decorum of the House”.

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Johannesburg – Contraband cigarettes, with an estimated street value of nearly R3.5m, were seized in Limpopo on Tuesday, police said.

Contraband cigarettes worth more than R2.5m were found in a silver Volkswagen minibus in Hlanganani, police spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi said.

Police found the minibus parked in a bush.

“Investigations revealed that the car was rented in Cape Town and investigations are afoot to find the suspects.”

In a separate incident contraband cigarettes worth about R1m were seized in Giyani on Tuesday. Four Zimbabweans and a Malawian were arrested.

“Police again while on patrol noticed two vehicles, a Toyota Quantum and Hyundai sedan, speeding and immediately a car chase ensued,” said Mulaudzi.

“The suspects ignored police’s signal to stop and at a distance the minibus stopped and two suspects were seen dashing away on foot.”

The car, suspected to have been used as an escort vehicle, was stopped and three women and two men were arrested.

Two people, who escaped on foot, were still at large.

The cigarettes in the minibus were seized.

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